Written Answers Wednesday 15 October 2008

Scottish Executive

Further Education

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that any outstanding parliamentary and legal issues relating to the charitable status of further education institutions will have been completed by 31 July 2009.

Fiona Hyslop: Yes. We have now removed the main barrier to the continued charitable status of colleges. This was achieved through the Charity Test (Specified Bodies) (Scotland) Order 2008, approved by Parliament on 25 June 2008, which exempted colleges from the standard requirement that a charity must operate independently of ministers.

  We will shortly introduce a further draft order to make a technical change to the legislation which deals with the position of ministers in relation to property disposals by colleges. We hope to introduce a draft order before the end of the year.

Further Education

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation was undertaken with stakeholders when drafting the forthcoming supplementary order relating to the Charity Test (Specified Bodies) (Scotland) Order 2008 to ensure that college assets, when disposed of, are used for charitable purposes.

Fiona Hyslop: We have worked with a range of stakeholders, both formally and informally, regarding the action necessary to safeguard the charitable status of colleges. These have included the Association of Scotland’s Colleges, NUS Scotland, STUC, SCVO and the Scottish Funding Council.

Further Education

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the draft order to ensure that college assets when disposed of are used for charitable purposes will be laid before the Parliament.

Fiona Hyslop: We plan to lay a draft order before the end of the year. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator has asked that action to safeguard the charitable status of colleges should be completed by the end of July 2009.

Schools

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15425 by Maureen Watt on 1 October 2008, which local authorities are using biometric technologies in their schools.

Maureen Watt: The 12 local authorities currently using biometric technologies in their schools are Aberdeenshire Council, Angus Council, Clackmannanshire Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, East Dunbartonshire Council, Glasgow City Council, Highland Council, Midlothian Council, Perth and Kinross Council, Renfrewshire Council, Stirling Council and West Lothian Council.